The Dean!
The Grand Martial Officer remained silent.
Ever since the Human Sword Lord disappeared, the academy had never had a dean again.
Why?
Who could become the dean?
And who would dare to?
Even the immensely powerful Princess Xin and the Moon Empress had no strong ambitions for that position!
It was not that they dared not think about it, but that they had no way to think about it, because no one would submit!
Although the two of them held immense power, commanded millions of troops, and were members of the cabinet, if they dared to show any intention towards that position, they might face eternal doom.
Everyone understood this tacitly: the position of dean could only belong to a descendant of the Human Sword Lord, or to his direct successor!
Otherwise, no one would obey!
The Child of Destiny!
In fact, at the beginning, the academy had also suspected that the Child of Destiny was a descendant of the Human Sword Lord. After all, the previous two generations of Children of Destiny were father and son. But unfortunately, the academy did not detect the legendary Madness Bloodline in the Child of Destiny’s body!
There were two possibilities. First, the Child of Destiny had not yet awakened the Madness Bloodline! Second, the Child of Destiny was simply not a descendant of the Human Sword Lord!
And now, the Dao Seal had appeared in the Child of Destiny’s possession. What did this mean? It meant that even if the Child of Destiny was not a descendant of the Human Sword Lord, he could still possibly be the Human Sword Lord’s successor!
Was there a chance to inherit the great lineage?
It was not impossible!
The Grand Martial Officer narrowed his eyes. At this moment, his heart, which had been dormant for many years, began to stir with restlessness.
At first, he became the teacher of the Child of Destiny only because the cabinet appointed him. But now, he wanted to truly take a side!
For him, this might be an once-in-a-lifetime, peerless opportunity!
If he stood on the winning side, he would soar to the heavens!
At that moment, the Child of Destiny suddenly looked towards the Grand Martial Officer. He gave a slight bow. “Teacher, I know that inheriting the great lineage will be extremely difficult. Therefore, I hope Teacher can lend me a helping hand. If I succeed in inheriting it, I will never forget Teacher’s assistance!”
He knew that to inherit the great lineage, he would need the support of countless people. And the Grand Martial Officer before him was extremely important!
After a long silence, the Grand Martial Officer asked, “Is the Immortal Treasure Pavilion supporting you so strongly because they already know that you have been recognised by the Dao Seal as its master?”
The Child of Destiny nodded. “Yes!”
The Grand Martial Officer fell silent.
The Child of Destiny continued, “The two strongest forces in the Milky Way Galaxy, the Future Sect and the Galaxy Sect, also support me!”
The Grand Martial Officer was truly shocked inside. “They also support you?”
The Child of Destiny nodded.
At this moment, the Grand Martial Officer was genuinely stunned!
Although the Galaxy Sect and Future Sect were not as strong as the Guanxuan Academy, they were still terrifyingly powerful, standing at the top of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Now, with the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, the Future Sect, and the Galaxy Sect all supporting the Child of Destiny, and many aristocratic families within the academy already taking his side… inheriting the great lineage was not impossible!
No!
It was entirely possible!
After deep contemplation, the Grand Martial Officer finally made his choice. He looked at the Child of Destiny and said softly, “The academy has been without a leader for so many years. It is time to settle on a dean!”
Hearing this, the Child of Destiny was instantly overjoyed!
The Grand Martial Officer!
This position held real power. More than eighty percent of the people in the Martial Academy had been taught by him. His disciples were spread across the world!
With his support, the Child of Destiny’s influence within the academy would rise dramatically, especially in the Martial Academy!
The Grand Martial Officer said gravely, “If you want to become the young master of the academy, you must also gain the support of the cabinet and those four super aristocratic clans!”
The Child of Destiny fell silent.
The four super aristocratic clans!
The Ancient Clan, the Moon Clan, the Primordial Divine Clan, and one more ancient family: the Yang Clan.
Although he was the Child of Destiny, for now, he still felt great apprehension towards these four clans!
Any one of those clans was a terrifying existence capable of making the entire Guanxuan Universe tremble three times!
The Grand Martial Officer suddenly said, “No rush. This matter cannot be hurried. It must be done slowly! The first step we need to take right now is your battle with Ye Guan! In this battle, you must win. As long as you win this battle, your fame will reach its peak. At that time, with your special identity, your prestige in the Guanxuan Universe will reach its zenith. Then, even the four super aristocratic clans will not dare to underestimate you!”
The Child of Destiny nodded. “I understand!”
The Grand Martial Officer nodded and continued, “Your identity is special, and you already have the support of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, the Galaxy Sect, and the Future Sect. As long as you are willing to make connections, aside from the four clans, all the other families, including those from the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, will be very willing to draw close to you! Therefore, in your battle with Ye Guan, you must win!”
The Child of Destiny nodded slightly and said gravely, “I will personally kill him, and prove to the world that I am the true protagonist of this generation!”
The Grand Martial Officer suddenly said, “I will take you to a special place to cultivate. When you come out, believe me, among those of the same realm, only Ye Guanzhi and Chen Ge will be your opponents!”
The Child of Destiny quickly bowed slightly to the Grand Martial Officer. “Many thanks, Teacher!”
The Grand Martial Officer waved his right hand, and the two of them vanished from the spot.
When they reappeared, they were already standing in front of a tall tower!
The Child of Destiny was somewhat surprised. “This is?”
The Grand Martial Officer smiled. “The Martial Tower! Built personally by the Pavilion Master of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion. Cultivating inside this tower, one year here is equivalent to one day outside!”
Hearing this, the Child of Destiny’s pupils contracted sharply, his face full of shock!
The Grand Martial Officer smiled faintly. “This place is extremely special. Ordinary people cannot enter to cultivate at all. Only absolute monstrous geniuses are qualified to come here. Moreover, ordinary people cannot afford it, because cultivating here for one day costs several hundred thousand immortal crystals!”
Several hundred thousand immortal crystals!
The Child of Destiny’s expression became grave. Although he had money, he was not the Immortal Treasure Pavilion with unlimited wealth!
Several hundred thousand immortal crystals per day!
That was truly terrifying!
The Grand Martial Officer said, “Let’s go!”
The Child of Destiny shook his head. “The money…”
The Grand Martial Officer laughed. “From now on, this place is free for you!”
The Child of Destiny froze.
The Grand Martial Officer smiled faintly. “This place is under my management. Opening a small convenience for you is something no one will question!”
The Child of Destiny immediately bowed deeply. “Many thanks, Teacher!”
With that, the two of them entered the tower.
…
South Garden.
In a courtyard, Ye Guanzhi stood by the lake. She held an ancient scroll in her hand and was reading it with great interest.
Today, Ye Guanzhi wore an ink-green long skirt. The skirt was embroidered with mountains, rivers, and landscapes, giving her a serene and elegant appearance.
At that moment, she suddenly leaned against the railing, her body leaning forward. Her long hair cascaded down, covering half of her peerlessly beautiful face.
Upon seeing something, Ye Guanzhi suddenly smiled. That smile was truly enough to topple cities and ruin kingdoms.
At that moment, an old woman walked over from the side. The old woman looked at Ye Guanzhi, sighed softly, her expression complex. “You can still laugh?”
Ye Guanzhi said calmly, “What is it?”
The old woman said gravely, “Do you not regret it?”
Ye Guanzhi smiled faintly. “What is there to regret?”
The old woman looked at Ye Guanzhi. “Right now, you have lost everything! And you are even under house arrest! Is it worth it?”
Ye Guanzhi said softly, “There is nothing worth it or not worth it. As long as you do what you believe is right, that is enough!”
The old woman was somewhat angry. “You spoke out in justice for Ye Guan, but who can uphold justice for you?”
Ye Guanzhi suddenly asked, “How has Young Master Ye been lately?”
The old woman said irritably, “I don’t know!”
Ye Guanzhi said softly, “He is the true victim!”
As she spoke, she paused for a moment and continued, “His days outside must be very difficult. Please go on my behalf and bring him some money and pills!”
The old woman said gravely, “Miss, he is now a mortal enemy of the Child of Destiny. The Child of Destiny has already declared that where there is him, there is no Young Master Ye, and where there is Young Master Ye, there is no him. If you help Young Master Ye now, you are undoubtedly offending the Child of Destiny!”
Ye Guanzhi glanced at the old woman and said calmly, “Do I need to curry favour with the Child of Destiny?”
The old woman froze.
Ye Guanzhi laughed lightly. “A person who calls upon the Heavenly Dao the moment he cannot win, is he even worthy of me, Ye Guanzhi, going to please? Pfft!”
With that, she turned and left!
The old woman: “……”
…
Cabinet Hall.
On this day, an old man suddenly walked into the cabinet. This old man was none other than Scholar Xian!
At this moment, Scholar Xian wore a wide white robe, his hair completely white.
After entering the cabinet hall, there was only one woman inside. She sat by a window, with densely packed memorials piled in front of her.
This person was none other than the current Chief Cabinet Minister, Li Ban Zhi!
Seeing Scholar Xian, Li Ban Zhi was slightly stunned. She then put down her brush and said, “Scholar Xian!”
Scholar Xian nodded slightly. “Chief Minister Li, you should know why I have come!”
Li Ban Zhi asked, “Is it about Guanzhi?”
Scholar Xian nodded.
Li Ban Zhi said calmly, “It was my personal decision to directly dismiss her from the position of chief and place her under house arrest!”
Scholar Xian was stunned. “It was not a collective decision of the cabinet?”
Li Ban Zhi nodded. “It was my personal decision!”
Scholar Xian hesitated for a moment and then said, “Chief Minister Li, you have always been someone I greatly admired. I also know your character. You should understand the full context of this matter. Why did you do this?”
Li Ban Zhi thought for a moment and then said, “Scholar Xian, please take a seat.”
Scholar Xian shook his head. “No need.”
Li Ban Zhi gave a wry smile and then said, “Scholar Xian, of course I know the full context of the matter. This time, it was indeed the An Family and the Heavenly Dragon Clan using their power to oppress others. Guanzhi was upholding justice. She did nothing wrong!”
Scholar Xian frowned slightly. “Then why did you still suppress her?”
Li Ban Zhi suddenly said, “Scholar Xian, do you wish for internal strife within the cabinet?”
Scholar Xian froze.
Li Ban Zhi said softly, “Scholar Xian, Guanzhi has great talent. She saw the problems in the academy. But do you think she is the only one who sees the current problems of the academy? Back then, did the Human Sword Lord not see them? Did we not see them?”
Scholar Xian fell silent.
Li Ban Zhi sighed softly. “Back then, I repeatedly advised the Human Sword Lord to weaken the aristocratic families and sects, but he did not do so. Because he could not bear it, and he did not want to kill the donkey after unloading the millstone. Of course, later during the Void True War, the aristocratic families and sects also contributed enormously. In terms of the entire universe, they have merit! After they fought desperately, to immediately turn the blade on them is simply unjustifiable! Most importantly, they have not committed any wrongdoing! If we want to weaken them, on what grounds?”
Scholar Xian said nothing.
Li Ban Zhi continued, “Guanzhi saw this problem and wanted to change it. I can understand. But Scholar Xian, this matter is far too big. It is not something she can solve! Do you know that because she helped that Young Master Ye and dealt with the An Family and the Heavenly Dragon Clan, all the aristocratic families and sects have now begun to band together? Their goal is very simple: whoever touches their interests, they will become enemies with that person.”
As she spoke, she shook her head slightly. “Scholar Xian, with Miss Qingqiu absent, if the aristocratic families truly move against Guanzhi, tell me, can you stop them?”
Scholar Xian fell silent.
What could the Literary Academy use to stop them?
Li Ban Zhi continued, “Even taking a step back, suppose I followed Guanzhi’s suggestion and impeached the aristocratic families. Do you know the consequences? The consequence would be that those families and sects would rebound furiously. And with the Ancient Clan and Moon Clan leading the aristocratic faction, they would step directly out from behind the scenes. At that time, the cabinet would fall into chaos. Once the cabinet is in chaos, the academy will be in chaos! In this current era, if the academy falls into chaos, with the Human Sword Lord absent and Miss Qingqiu in slumber, who can suppress it?”
Scholar Xian sighed softly. “I thought of the matter too simply!”
Li Ban Zhi nodded slightly. “By dismissing Guanzhi, the aristocratic families and sect factions will no longer target her. Instead, she will be safe.”
Scholar Xian cupped his hands slightly. “I misunderstood Chief Minister Li! My apologies! I take my leave!”
With that, he turned and left!
After Scholar Xian left, Li Ban Zhi turned her head to look not far in front of her. There stood a small wooden figure. Looking at that small wooden figure, she said softly, “In the blink of an eye, it has been tens of millions of years since I last saw you!”
As she spoke, she gave a self-mocking smile. “You appeared in Qingzhou, yet you did not come here to see me… In your heart, am I merely a tool?”
…
